Motor vehicle



Een. 4 i923. LS A A. J. BORST, JR

MOTOR VEHICLE Filed June 19, 1919 lll vlll

lill

atented Dec. 4, 1923.

ANDREW .T Bons'r, Jn., or BUFFALO, nnw Yonx.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

Application led June 1.9, 1919. Serial Io. 305,288.

To all 'whom tmay concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. Bons'r, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Bud'alo, in the county of Erie and State of .New Yorlr, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specilication.

'llhis invention relates to' motor vehicles, and more particularlv to-the vspring connections thereof whereby the vehicle springs are attached or connected to or operatively positioned with reference to other parts or members oi the vehicle.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of yielding means interposed between the springs of a vehicle and. other parts or members thereof with a view of imparting easier riding qualities to the vehicle, eliminating sudden jolts and jars which would otherwise be impartedl from one part of the vehicle to another, thereby preventing erystallizing of the parts, render ing the springs more resilient, and minimizing the possibilities of the springs becoming broken. l

A further object is to provide a cushioned combined spring and axle-bearing to which the medialportion of a vehicle spring is secured and 1n which the axle is journaled, and cushioned hangers to which opposite ends ot the spring are secured.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features 'of construction and in the arrangementand combination of parts hereinafter descrlhed und more particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

ln the drawings 1Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the rear end of a vehicle having a portion thereof 'spring-mounted und the springs thereof secured and connected to other parts or members ol the vehicle in accordance with my invcnitionn or frame of a vehicle in which is suitably mounted lor-rotation the axle l having the traction wheels 8 secured thereto in an approved manner, one only of which is s own 1n the drawings. lt is ol course to be understood that the axle may be continuous 4from end to end. and the traction wheels rotatably mounted thereon, or it may be any other type of axle, for instance a divided axle 'with the usual di'erential gearing between the two parts thereof. For this reason I deem it unnecessary to illustrate more than one end of one commontype of axle.

The representative axle shown isv rotatably mounted in a combined spring and axle bearing 9 varranged adjacent the chassis Y lengthwise: movement by means of a collar l0 fastened` to the axle by means oi a set screw 11 or applied in any other approved manner.. The particular means provided for securing or retaining the bearing 9 in position ll do notJ consider of importance, as this may be varied to suit. the type oi chassis or trame, or the type oi vehicle without deperting from the scope oliu my invention.

'llhe combined spring and enle comprises a housing l2 having suitahle danges i3, the spring bearing surilace it or the housino1 heing preferably eonceved to conform tothe curveture el the shrine" l5 mounted Seid spring is aloly ci semi-elliptic 'formetion an s ists oi a series oli .leaves connected together by means ol k'l-slneped bolts or clips itl, or otherwise. ln the druwings l have snc-wn the lll-shaped bolts or clips lli pessed over the series oi spring leaves :trom the so as to embrace the saine with the opposite ends or the holte or clips passed through the denges 'i3 oli the bearing. Nuts l? 'are secured to the ends ot seid securely lasten the spring to the securing member. yl"he housing l2 is provided with or frame of the vehicle and held from per ill@

' objects of a cylindrical opening 18 enlar in diameter between the opposite si es thereof so as to form an annular depression l9rand two retainer flanges 20 at opposite sides thereof. Surrounding the axle is a series of antifriction rollers 21 around which is arranged a metallic sleeve 22 forming one part of the raceway for said rollers, the other part of the raceway being formed by .the axle but it will be apparent from the state this invention that this construction may be modified without departing from the principle involved, as the sole purpose thereof istoprovide an anti-friction bearing for the axle within the bearin member 9.

ithin the depression 19 of the housing 12 and surrounding the metallic sleeve or outer raceway of the roller bearing isl a yielding element or cushion in theform 4of. a rubber ring or annulus 23, the outer marginal portion of which lies in contact with Y the retainer fianges 2O of the housing,'and

at the inner marginal portion thereof,. as well as the opposite edges of the metallic sleeve 22 and opposite ends of the antifriction rollers 21, washers or retainers 24 are arranged; these washers or retainers having, respectively, their outer sides in lcontact with4 the chassis or frame of the vehicle and with the collar 10. In this manner the spring is securely fastened to the bearing member 9 and said member yieldingly mounted so that sudden jars imparted to the vehicle by reason of the wheels thereof striking obstructions or traveling over rough surfacesA is partly absorbed before being imparted to the springs or other parts of the vehicle, thereby preventing crystallization of such parts.

As hereinbefore stated, the invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with supporting platforms of tractors on which the front ends of semi-trailers are adapted to be attached, and in the illustration shown,

platform, which is itself supported by means of the semi-elliptic springs 15.

Mounted on said platform is a coupling head 26 havin a depending {pivot-pin 27 passing throng a bearing 28 orming part of said platform. The coupling head is therefore permitted to rotate and is arranged to be coupled to a part of a semitrailer so that the tractor may change its course with reference to the trailer and cause the trailer to follow the tractor in its course.

Secured to the under side of the platform 25 which, in a broad sense, may be considered the vehicle body, are hangers 29, one of which only is shown at one side of the platfrom but it is of course understood that this is duplicated at the other side for 25 designates the supporting' `the opposite spring (not shown). To these hangers-one, end of each of the springs, preferably the front end, is secured and fastened to the opposite end of each of the springs, is a loose orfioating hanger or bearing member 30, against which the under side of the sup orting platform bears. It is of course un erstood that when the weight imposed u on the platform is increased, the semi-e iptical springs 15 have the endsthereof depressed so'that they assume a curvature of eater radius. This causes the opposite en s of the spring to be separated and one end must necessarily yield to prevent, binding and possible breakage of the springs.

Each of the hangers 29 is provided with two spaced depending portions 31 connected at the top y a web 32 projecting rearwardly and forwardly 'from the front and 3 rear edges of the depending portions to form' securing lugs 33 through which rivets or other securing means 34 are passed that are fastened into the platform. Each of the depending opening 35 t erethrough, and the cylindrical openings of both depending portions are alined. Each of the cylindrical openings is enlarged between its ends to form an annular depression 3 6 and retainer flanges 37. Into t e space between the two depending portions of the hanger one end of the upper or innermost leaf of the vehicle spring extends, and this end is fashioned into the form of an eye t0 provide abolt hole through which a bolt 38 is passed.

Arranged within each of the annular dcpressions of the depending portions 31 of ortions 3l has a cylindrical each hanger 29 is a yielding member or cushl ion in the form of a rubber ring 39 or the like having an axial opening 40, and in each of these axial openings a metallic bushing 41 is fitted. Metallic Washers or retainer members 4:2 of larger diameter than the bushings are arranged at opposite sides of the yielding member or cushion and bear against opposite ends of the metallic bushings and opposite sides of said yielding member or cushion. These washers or retainer members andeach of the bushings have axial openin s to receive the bolt 38 which is of a lengt to extend outwardly beyond opposite sides of the hanger and it has nuts 43 applied to opposite ends which bear -against the outer faces of the outer washer or retainer member of each depending portion 31. The eye of the spring has opposite ends thereof in contact with the inner faces of the 'inner washers or retainer members, and in lll lll

f inventa ed within semi-cylindrical depressions 49 `formed in the upper face of said member.

As the sprin is depressed, said hanger or bearing mem r is moved back and forth underneath the supporting `platform with. the absorbent material 47 in rabbin contact so as to lubricate'the region' thereo against which the anti-friction rollers 48 rotate, thus rendering the device free in action and eliminating all noise. The floating hangers, like the hangers 29 at the opposite ends of the springs, are each provided wit-h two spaced depending portions 50, each having a cylindrical opening 51 with an annular depression 52 and retainer danges 53. .Within each of the depressions is a yielding member or cushion a having an axial opening into which is tted a. metallic bushing 55. The opposite end of each spring is also provided With a bolt hole and it is placed between the depending portions of the floating" hanger. A securing bolt 56 is passed through said bolt hole and the metallic bushings with metallic Washers or retainer members 57 bearing against the outer and inner faces of each yielding member or cushion and the ends of the bushings inserted in said yieldn ing members or cushions. The Washer or retainer member at the inner sides of each de pending-portion is in contact with the end portion of the spring and one of the outer Washers or retaining membersI has the head oi? the bolt 56' bearing thereagainst, while the other outer washer or retainer member has a nut 58 bearing thereagainst which is threaded onto said bolt.

llt is therefore apparent that the manner .of connecting the springs to the rear or floating hangers 30 is similar to that of the front or rigidly secured hangers 29 with these hangers diderent only in construction at .the upper-ends thereof, the hangers at one end of the springs having meansgfor permanently securing them to the supportingl platform or the body of a vehicle, as the .case may be, While the 'others have means which allow them to move lengthwise in contact with the under sides of the platform or the body of a vehicle, as the case may be, while retaining their proper positions with respect to the springs attached thereto. lln each case, however, the securing bolt connecting one end of a spring to the hanger is yieldingly supported and the A- means for yieldingly supporting the same,

which maybe termed a metal'lined cushion, is retained Within the hanger, the whole being arranged to permit radial movement of the securing bolt within the hanger or connection 1n any direction or angle so that the initial shocks or jars to which the connections are subjected are absorbed by the cushions or yielding members and the body of the vehicle relieved of considerable strain and Wear.

'llt .is apparent from the foregoingv that each bearing for the axle 4is directly beneath a spring, forming both a combined axle and spring-bearing, which is fastened directly to thespring, the" axle shown being what is generally termed a live axle to which the initialdriving power isimparted from the engine so that with this axle thus journaled and provided with cushioned roller bearings the sudden jolts imparted to the vehicle body upon starting, 'or when quickly stopping, are almost eliminated, as the shock or jar is absorbed bythe cushion bearing before it has an opportunity to be imparted to the springs or body mounted on the springs.

Where in the claims the word connection or connector is employed, it is' intended to mean' any device or htting by means of which one part of a vehicle is connected to another, or by means of which,

onepart of a vehicleis journaled and receives support from another, Pand in its broadest sense includes both a bearing and a hanger, as illustrated in the drawings, or any similardevice or tting.,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is Y l. The combination with a vehicle body and a vehicle spring having a bolt hole at one. end, of a hanger in contact with said vehicle body having two spaced depending portions, alined openings in said hanger, each opening having an annular depression providing opposite retainer Hanges, a' l rubber cushion within each'of said depressions With said retainer flanges bearing against opposite sides of said cushion, a metallic bushing in said cushion, and a bolt passing through said metallic bushings and the bolt hole of said spring.

2. The combination with a vehicle body and a spring having one end thereof provided with a bolt hole, of ,a metallic member between said vehicle body andsaid end of said spring, said' metallic member having two spaced depending portions provided With alined openings and an annular depression in each opening providing retainer Hanges at opposite ends thereof, a y cushion fitted Within each depression, a mef tallic bushing Within each cushion, said end of said spring being arranged between said depending portions, a washer bearing against the inner face of each yielding member and the inner end of the metallic bushing therein, a Washer bearing against the outer face of each yielding member and the llO ias

outer end of the bushing therein, and a bolt passing through said bushings and washers and through the bolt hole of said spring.

3. The combination with a vehicle body 8 land avehicle spring, of a metallic member between said body and spring and being secured to said ring, sald metallic member having one surface thereof spaced from the body portion with a de ression therein, ab- 10 sorbent material within said depression ada ted to be lubricated and bear against sai body, drical depressions in rear and in front of the first-mentioned depression, and antifriction rollers within each of said semisaid surface having semi-cylm- Y cylindrical depressions in contact with the vehicle body.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ANDREW J. BORST, Ja. 

